Toyota Prius+ MPV joins the Prius range

Toyota says that the Prius+ MPV is "designed from the ground up", and is a completely new vehicle from the Prius hatchback. The Prius+ is a full seven-seater MPV, unlike the similar Prius V MPV that was shown at the Detroit Motor Show in January, which had only five seats.

The Prius+ will use a lithium-ion battery pack, the first time Toyota has used it for a non-plug-in hybrid, instead of the nickel-metal hydride battery that is found on the standard Prius family car. Toyota has not revealed details about the car's range or charging, but it is expected to be similar to the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system on the Prius and Auris hybrid models.

This means that it is possible that the Prius+ will have a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol that produces 98bhp, mated to an electric motor which has an additional 80bhp. Like the standard Prius, the Prius+ MPV features three driving modes, ECO for maximum fuel-efficiency, EV for driving purely on the electric motor, and Power for slightly better performance driving.